The Best Episodes Written By Paul Rutman

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   9.0/10(6 votes)

   #1 - The Great and the Good

   S2:E43/16/2008

   A rape case appears to be solved when the chief suspect is murdered. But nothing is what it seems - and soon the upper echelons of Oxford society close ranks.

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   Writer:Paul Rutman

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2. 

   8.3/10(8 votes)

   #2 - The Ghost Position

   S2:E14/22/2012

   Vera's reunion with her first-ever sergeant, Stuart Macken, occurs under tragic circumstances when his house is petrol-bombed. Stuart is badly burned by the attack and his 18-year-old daughter Stella is left fighting for her life in intensive care. Vera is shocked to see that Stuart is a shadow of the man she knew 20 years before and, when her investigation uncovers unpleasant revelations about his personal life, she is faced with some long-buried memories of her own.

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   Writer:Paul Rutman

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3. 

   8.2/10(6 votes)

   #3 - A Certain Samaritan

   S2:E36/3/2012

   DCI Vera Stanhope investigates the murder of 29-year-old Niall Coulter. With those closest to Niall intent upon obscuring the truth, it is not until the body of a drug dealer is found washed up on a Northumberland beach that the dreadful truth begins to emerge about Niall's past. While coping with revelations from her own past, Vera sifts through evidence of the grief, love and addiction that characterised Niall's life and deduces that his murderer acted through selfless and unrequited love.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Paul Rutman

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4. 

   7.8/10(8 votes)

   #4 - The Crow Trap

   S1:E35/15/2011

   When a woman is murdered in the remote Northumbrian countryside, DCI Vera Stanhope is led back to a place from her past. As she and her team investigate, they uncover shadowy liaisons, conflicting sympathies and hidden injustices.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Paul Rutman

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   Writer:Paul Rutman
5. 

   7.7/10(7 votes)

   #5 - Little Lazarus

   S1:E45/22/2011

   Last in the series of the detective drama based on the novels by Ann Cleeves. DI Vera Stanhope rescues a young boy from a freezing pond after he escapes from a violent attack which left his mother dead. As Vera and her team investigate what happened to the child, they unravel a web of deadly secrets and discover a murderous sequence of events set in motion by power, money and a mother's love. Although she is usually awkward and uninterested around children, Vera finds a kindred spirit in the boy, and begins to realise that the key to the investigation may lie hidden in his memory.

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   Writer:Paul Rutman

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6. 

   7.7/10(6 votes)

   #6 - On Harbour Street

   S4:E14/27/2014

   Investigating a mysterious death, DCI Vera Stanhope finds herself in a quiet coastal town with clues that keep revolving around one street.

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   Writer:Paul Rutman

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7. 

   7.5/10(2 votes)

   #7 - Magic Majestic

   S5:E68/11/2008

   The team investigate the art of illusion when they reopen a case involving a magic trick that ended in murder. Powerful mind games and hypnosis prove a dangerous mix for Brian Lane, however, sending him down a destructive path. Meanwhile, a session with the Magic Circle's Dr Moroni leaves a sceptical Gerry Standing feeling paranoid and his colleagues a little nervous around him.

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   Writer:Paul Rutman

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8. 

   7.3/10(9 votes)

   #8 - Telling Tales

   S1:E25/8/2011

   After Jeanie Long commits suicide, evidence comes to light exonerating her for the murder of teenager Abigail Mantel 11 years earlier. DCI Vera Stanhope and her team set out to retrospectively solve the killing, delving into the secrets and lies of a small community which still feels the repercussions of Abigail's death. Then the case takes an violent and unexpected turn - can Vera use her skill and instinct to find the truth and lay ghosts to rest?

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   Writer:Paul Rutman

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9. 

   7.3/10(12 votes)

   #9 - Hidden Depths

   S1:E15/1/2011

   After two young people are killed in the same way - placed in water and surrounded by flowers - DCI Vera Stanhope knows that she must catch the murderer before they strike again. Aided by her team, especially her trusted right-hand man Sgt Joe Ashworth, she unpicks the complex and dysfunctional relationships amongst a group of bird-watching friends. As the friends' loyalty turns to betrayal, Vera finds that a small act of teenage blackmail and an illicit affair may have driven someone to kill.

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   Writer:Paul Rutman

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10. 

    7.0/10(14 votes)

    #10 - They Do It with Mirrors

    S4:E31/1/2010

    A reformatory for delinquent boys run by Miss Marple's philanthropic friend becomes the scene of arson and poisoning, and ultimately murder.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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11. 

    6.8/10(24 votes)

    #11 - The Secret of Chimneys

    S5:E212/27/2010

    An attempt to bring a famed stately home back to its former glory is marred when a visiting Austrian diplomat is shot to death decades after the disappearance of a priceless diamond.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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12. 

    6.6/10(8 votes)

    #12 - The Point of Vanishing

    S3:E34/5/2009

    When religious fanatic Steven Mullan is murdered, Lewis investigates celebrity atheist Tom Rattenbury and his family, who had been attacked by Mullan.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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13. 

    4.9/10(21 votes)

    #13 - Emergency Caller

    S1:E11/10/2024

    An anonymous call puts Detective Sergeant June Lenker in the path of the formidable Daniel Hegarty.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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14. 

    4.8/10(20 votes)

    #14 - Two Calls

    S1:E21/10/2024

    Convinced there's a link between the emergency calls, June sets out to prove a theory—but Hegarty stays one step ahead.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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15. 

    4.5/10(20 votes)

    #15 - Kid in the Park

    S1:E31/17/2024

    A horrific incident lands June on Hegarty's team, giving her a way to win his trust while secretly digging into the Errol Mathis case.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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16. 

    4.4/10(17 votes)

    #16 - The Sixty-Twos

    S1:E72/14/2024

    The events leading up to Errol's 2011 arrest reveal a hidden history.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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17. 

    4.4/10(18 votes)

    #17 - Carla

    S1:E82/21/2024

    A wave of public outrage pushes Hegarty and June to work together before it's too late.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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18. 

    3.7/10(12 votes)

    #18 - Is It Him?

    S2:E14/22/2026

    The search for a killer lands June back in Hegarty's orbit, who has a proposition for her: Join his intelligence operation to find her man.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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19. 

    3.6/10(9 votes)

    #19 - Duty of Care

    S2:E55/20/2026

    Hegarty continues the hunt for the detonators. June comes to a shocking realization. Cosmo's off-the-grid boot camp takes a deadly turn.

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    Writer:Paul Rutman

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20. 

    3.3/10(11 votes)

    #20 - Firestarters

    S2:E24/29/2026

    Hegarty brings June into his plan to use Billy as an undercover asset. June's home life starts to unravel.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Paul Rutman

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21. 

    2.5/10(6 votes)

    #21 - Nobody Dies

    S2:E86/10/2026

    June and Hegarty must work together to stop the danger already set in motion.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Paul Rutman

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22. 

    2.4/10(7 votes)

    #22 - When the Music Stops

    S2:E65/27/2026

    After the chaos in the woods, Billy goes dark and Operation Samphire hangs by a thread.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Paul Rutman

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